Tricounty DFA Update: DFA National Action Day on Saturday
Hello Everyone:

In this update:

1. Our DFA National Action Day on Saturday the 14th: Help us clean up the Bikeway!
2. Dean Endorses Bernie Sanders for Senate
3. Rove on Grassroots
4. The election that will not die
5. Bush slimes FDR over Yalta (what else is new)
6. On the lighter side, listen to the Wombat

1. Our DFA National Action Day on Saturday the 14th: Help us clean up the Bikeway!

As you know we had a really successful DFA Action Day last month, meeting with a representative from Congressman Sweeney on Social Security. We can't take too much credit, but Sweeney has backed off of the issue, so we did our bit.

This month DFA Burlington is asking all our meetups to do a nationwide volunteer project of our choice this Saturday, May 14th. At last week's meeting we agreed to Linda Thompson's suggestion to clean up the Warren County Bikeway. We will begin at noon on Bay Road near Kubricky Construction (plenty of on street parking) and go both ways. We suggest you bring a trash bag, gloves and boots (it can be wet).

Walt and I have checked out the trail; there is only a few bits of litter north of the pedestrian bridge -- the county may be cleaning that area. So we propose to focus on the area south of the pedestrian bridge over Quaker Road down Dix Avenue. The areas that really need help are mostly behind Aldi and Hannaford north of Bay Road and south of Bay to Lexington Avenue. But the more we can cover the better. Obviously, we will leave heavy stuff like construction debris and tree limbs, etc.

If anyone wants to bike down from the North and grab what they find on the way, or below, that would be great.

Again, we meet at noon on Saturday. And thanks Linda for this suggestion!

2. Dean Endorses Bernie Sanders for Senate

Dean is in the news today: he endorsed Representative Bernie Sanders for Senate. As we know is the incredibly popular Congressman from Vermont and Congress's only socialist.
Dean On Sanders

3. Rove on Grassroots

Karl Rove gave a rare but fascinating interview with the Arizona Republic newspaper on the future of politics. It seems Rove thinks the future of political activity may be in grass roots organizing, just like we are doing in DFA for the last two years. Here is the relevant part:

"Rove won't discuss 2008 presidential aspirants. But he does make an interesting observation about the trend in presidential nominating politics.
"He thinks 2008 might depart from what he describes as the '80s and '90s model, in which candidates parlay national standing and status into the nomination. Reagan, Bush I and Dole were all national political figures when they began their quest for the nomination.
"Instead, Rove thinks there may be a reversion back to what he describes as the '60s model, in which candidates earn support by grassroots, retail politicking.
"If so, the candidates who will ultimately have the inside track aren't necessarily those on the talk shows, but those making connections with party and conservative-cause activists.
"In other words, those tending to the same political gardens Rove cultivated to beat the Democrats at the turnout game."

We know the Governor gets this and has gotten it all along; let's hope the Washington insiders in our Party get it, too.

4. The election that will not die

It seems the 2004 election refuses to die. Arianna Huffington has a new group blog, and amidst the self-important Hollywood celebs, there are some real spokespeople for Democrats and progressives. You probably remember sportscaster Jim Lampley, who is now also a producer in L.A. Read Lampley on the 2004 election: Lampley

Also: Election?

5. Bush slimes FDR over Yalta (what else is new)

This week has been the 60th Anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe. I am sure this is a particularly thoughtful moment for most of us, but especially for some of our World War Two vets, Bob and Muriel Jacobs and Richard Duvall.

I have always been struck by how self-effacing WWII vets are about whatever they did in that great struggle; but that is in fact the mark of greatness. A simple thank you can be an awfully easy thing which makes it doubly sad we do not do it more, but we are all grateful and we do honor and thank you. I know many of you object to the idea you are the "Greatest Generation" but at the very least you are greater than the rest of us.

Sadly, proof may lay in the fact George Bush chose to spoil what should have been an above politics commemoration of this great moment by repeating and injecting into the event a smear popular with the far right since the days of Joe McCarthy, namely that FDR, our greatest modern President, gave away Eastern Europe to Stalin at Yalta.

For those who aren't old enough to remember, here's a couple of pieces correcting this outrageous falsehood.
Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. puts it best, and simply; "he forgets the presence of the Red Army..."
Yalta delusions
TPM

6. On the lighter side, listen to the Wombat

Finally, to lighten things up a bit, Nancy Howland sends this along; when Wombats speak, you have to listen.
The Wombat Speaks

See everyone in the Glens Falls area on Saturday!

Many thanks,

Larry
- posted by Larry Dudley @ 12:07 AM